Mechanical rabble



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- MECHANICAL RABB'L Filed an. 19, 1924 ,3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gil:

- J. SMITH v v Aug. 3,1926. J 1,594,799-

- J. SMITH l MECHANICAL RABBLE Filed Jan. 19, 192

' 3 Sheets-Sheat 3 Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

UNlTEfi JOHN SMITH, OF VVABREN, OHIO.

MECHANICAL EABBLE.

Application filed January 19, 1924. Serial No. 687,210.

This invention relates to a mechanical rabble; and it comprises amachine having a reciprocating member such asa carriage, a rabble holder pivot ally secured thereto W1th 5 mechanism for raising and lowering one end pf such holder, and a rabble in the holder, the parts arranged so that as the reciprocat= ing m'eans advance and recede, the rabble holder is ense and lowered and the end of the rabble in the holder isgiven a moreor less hoe=like movement such as that needed in splashing steel from holes in open hearth furnaces and the like; all as more fully hereinafter set forth and as claimed.

During the operation of an openhearth furnace, holes or depressions form in the re- ;tractory lining at the bottom, and when the heat is tapped, puddles of steel are left in these places, this steel not draining off through the tap holes. It is necessary to repair these holes and, of course, it is necessary to remove the molten steel before repairs are made. It has been the custom in the art for many years to use as a tool for this purpose a long bar, either of wood or steel, with a flat paddle on the end of it. This bar is usually from 15 to 20 feet long and the flat paddle at the end is usually attached at right angles to the bar, but may be in line with it. Usually from l to 6 men (indeed, sometimes more) operate this bar by hand from the furnace door. Therod is worked back and forth with the paddle portion in the hole and the steel is splashed'out. As stated, sometimes Wooden rods are used in place of steel rods, partly because the steel does not build up on the wooden rod as it does on the steel rod and partly since the wooden rod retains its stiffness better.

The rods with the attached paddles are termed rabbles. These have been used by 7 hand as described for many years, but their use requires considerable skill, labor, and time. Their use is also objectionable in that the operators must necessarily remain near the door of the furnace and are subjected to intense heat. The time consumed in rabloling an open hearth furnace in the way described further represents considerable loss, since the furnace cools off, more or less, meanwhile and this cooling. must be compensated for the-next heat,

The production of a mechanical device arranged to accomplish rapid rabbling of an open hearth furnace is an important desideratum in the art.

I have produced what I term a mechanical rabble. The machine is built to travel on the usual charging tracks in front of the open hearth furnace It is positioned in front of the furnace door and it may be turned on a swivel so that the rabble may be properly directed inside the door of the furnace, The rabbleholder is arranged so that it may be tilted to any necessary degree, by the useof compressed air or steam. The rabble holder carrying the rabble is made to'plunge backwardly and forwardly after the end of the rabble has been positioned in the furnace.

In addition to providing mechanism for giving horizontal reciprocating motion and a vertical movement to the ends of the rabble holder and thus to the rabble which is carried thereby, I also provide what I term reversing mechanism, so that in operation, the end of the rabble may be positioned at different points in the hole from which the steel is to be splashed.

In the accompanying drawings there is shown one form of a specific embodiment of the invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the machine;

Fi 2 is a vertical longitudinal section.

{I along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a segmental longitudinal section through the upper part of the rabble holder; Fig. 4.- is an end view of the machine, the

table and car being omitted and the side of the rabble holder carrying the gear being open; and

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective of the ing machine on tracks in front of the fur-' naces and the present rabbling machine may be used on the same tracks. The machine is repelled by motor 4; withthe usual controlling mechanism (not. shown). I Mounted up-.

on the truck body 1 is the pedestal 5 and surrounding the pedestal is the internally geared ring or rack 6 supported, by a plurality of posts 7. Mounted to revolve on the pedestal and theupperface of the ring 6 is the table .8 having the shaft 9 in the bearing in the pedestal 5 and carrying a plurality of wheels 10 arranged to ride on the surface 11 of the ring. The motor 12 is mounted at one side of the table Through shaft 13 this motor drives gears in gear housing 14 which, in turn, drive shaft 1 5to which the pinion 16 is attached. This pinion 16 meshes with the rack .of'the ring 6 and thus the table 8 carrying the motor 12 may be revolved around-the ring.

The table 8 carries block 17 bolted thereto by means of bolts 18 and the cylinder .19 having the heads 20 and 21. Piston 22 is arranged for reciprocation in thecylinder by means ofcompressed' air or steam in the usual way (not shown).

.Mounted upon the table 8 by means of the bolts 2%, is track supporting frame 2511a;- ing a pair of inwardly projecting tracks 26 on opposite top portions thereof and the reciprocating carriage 2? is provided with blocks 28 and 29 on each side arranged to slide in these tracks. The piston rod is provided with a hollow block 30 having the set bolt 31. In this way, the carriage is attached to the piston for reciprocating there with. The carriage 27 has side walls 32 extending from the; top 38 thereof. These side walls are recessed for reception of the hubs 340i the carriage tilting device or rabble reversing mechanism. This carriage tilting device comprises :a pair of wheels 35 having the hubs 84c fitting in the recesses of the sides of the carriage and having the slots 36. The block carries stub shafts 37 which ridein these slots. Through this connection moving of the hand lever 38, forwardly or backwardly, will cause turning of the hubs 3d and thusjraising or lowering of the frame 2.7 constituting part of the carriage. The forward portion of the piston 'rod extends through the bearing block and has a shoulder 10 to bear against this block. The extreme end of the rod is reduced as at 51 and carries a nut and lock nut 50 on thethreaded end. Between the lock nut. and the end of the block 39 is the coil spring 52 Whiehserves as a shock ab sorber, since there is some lost motion due to theconneetion ofthe piston rod through the block 28 and the eccentrics Mounted upon the carriage-2 by means of the. pivot 60-is the rabble holder .61. Thi rabble holder :is arranged for tilting through meansiof. the links62-pivoteden-each side of.-

the; holder .51 at 63: ndha ng its other end attached to the era which is on :thercarniage '27-. 'llhiscra.

Piston rod 23 operates. to reciprocate the carriage to beclescribeda a hoe-like. movement of the rabble.

gear box 73 driven by means of suitable gearng from the shaft 74; of the motor 75. The

roll '71 is driven from a pinion 76 at the bottom of .the shaft upon which said roll is mounted, this pinion extending under the butt-011168 of the rabble holder and meshing with the pinion 76 carried by the other side. Preferably, this pinion 76 is carried by a separate door-like device .77 on the other side pivoted at 78. This pinion. 76 is keyed to the shaft 79 having bearing in ears 80 carried by the side 77. In this way. there may be adjustment between the iQiiS by adjusting the door 77, and when. it is, desired to remove the rabble this may be quickly done by swinging the door outwardly t9 disengage the other roll 72. This door is held in place :by means of the threaded bolt 81 passing through the hole 82'on'the door. j

The above device, as described, is capable of several different adjustments and is capable of operation so that the furnace may be thoroughly .rabbled. A rabble bar 85, a fragment of which is shown in Figure 3, of wood or iron, as the case may be, is placed in the rabble holder 61 and the door 77 closed so that the two pinions beneath the rabble holder Will mesh and so that the fluted rolls driven by these pinions may advance or recede the bar for correct positioning in the furnace. These rolls are driven by the motor T5, the car having been stationed in front of the furnace. The bar being positioned, the steam or air is turned on to cylinder 19. VVhereupon the piston 22 reriprocates and drives the carriage 2T forwardly and backwardly. This gives a reciprocating movement to the rabble holder and to the rabble in the furnace. During this time, the motor is operated to turn the crank 64 and through the links .62 pivoted at 63 to the rabble holder, this holder is given an up-and -down movement on its. pivot 60. The combined motion results .in For more accurate adjustment, the hand lever 35 of the carriage 27 may be moved by hand forwardlyand backwardly, ieither continuously or at intervals, to cause the end of rabble.

Through: the mechanism described, therabble n be nade' to reach any point and f thoroughly splash frolnthehighsin-the bottom of the furnace steelafter the heat is drawn.

What I claim is 1. A mechanical rabble for open hearth furnaces and the like comprising a reciprocable carriage, rabble holder mounted on said carriage, a rabble carried thereby. means for reciprocating the'carriage and means for tilting the rabble holder whereby the end of the rabble may splash metal from a hole in the bottom of the furnace with a hoe-like motion.

2. A mechanical rabble for open hearth furnaces and the like comprising a rabble holder, a rabble carried thereby, and means for simultaneously tilting and reciprocating the rabble holder whereby the end of the rabble may splash metal from a hole in the bottom of the furnace.

3. A mechanical rabble for open hearth furnaces and the like comprising a rabble holder, means associated therewith for adjustably securing the rabble thereto, means for swinging the rabble holder and means for simultaneously reciprocating the rabble holder whereby the rabble may be positioned to splash molten metal from a hole in the bottom of the furnace.

1. In a mechanical rabble comprising a rabble holder, means for securing arabble thereto, means for tilting the rabble holder so that the end of the rabble may be positioned to operate in a hole in the bottom of the furnace, a carriage to which said rabble holder is pivoted, and means for reciprocating said carriage simultaneously with the tilting of said rabble holder.

5. In a mechanical rabble the combination with a wheeled base, a reciprocating carriage, a rabble holder pivoted to said carriage, means for raising or lowering one end of the rabble holder and a rabble secured to said holder. 1

6. In a mechanical rabble the combination with a reciprocating carriage of a rabble holder pivoted thereto, means for raising and lowering one end of the rabble holder, independent means for tilting one end of the carriage and a rabble secured to said holder.

7. In a mechanical rabble, a rabble holder and means for reciprocating the same, said holder having inwardly extending rolls for advancing or retracting a rabble therein, means for revolving the rolls. and a rabble in said holder engaged by said rolls.

8. In a mechanical rabble, a rabble holder and means for reciprocating the same, said holder having inwardly extending rolls for advancing or retracting a rabble therein, means for revolving the rolls, a rabble in said holder engaged by said rolls and means for adjusting one roll with respectto another.

9. In a mechanical rabble, a carriage, means for reciprocating the same, a rabble holder associated in tilting relation thereto, means for tilting the rabbleholder, a sup port for the carriage and means for swinging the carriage on the supp'ort'so that the rabble holder may be positioned with respect to the door of the furnace.

10. A mechanical rabble comprising acar, a platform swiveled. thereon, acarriage carried by said platform, means for reciprocating the said carriage, a rabble holder arranged. to reciprocate with said carriage and provided with means for raising and lowering one end thereof, and a rabble carried by said rabble holder.

11. A mechanical rabble comprising a car, a platform swireled thereon, a carriage carried by said platform, means for reciprocating the said carriage, means for tilting the carriage, a rabble holder arranged to reciprocate with said carriage and provided with means for raising and lowering one end thereof, and a rabble carried by said rabble holder.

12. A mechanical rabble comprising a car, a platform swiveled thereon, acarriage carried by said platform, means for reciprocating the said carriage, a rabble holder ar ranged to reciprocate with said carriage and provided with means for continuously raising and lowering one end thereof as the carriage reciprocates, and a rabble carried by said rabble holder.

13. In a mechanical rabble for open hearth furnaces and the like a carriage, support-s therefor, guides on said supports, and means associated with the carriage for travelling in said guides, means connected with said first-named means for reciprocating said carriage in said guides, means associated with the carriage for holding a rabble and a rabble in said last named means.

14. In a mechanical rabble, a carriage and means for reciprocating the same, a rabble holder tiltably mounted on said carriage and means carried by the carriage and connected to the rabble holder for tilting one end of the same as the carriage reciprocates.

15. In a mechanical rabble, a carriage and means for continuously reciprocating the same, a rabble holder tiltably mounted on said carriage and means carried by the carriage and connected to the rabble holder for tilting one end of the same as the carriage reciprocates.

16. In a mechanical rabble, a carriage and means for reciprocating the same, means for tilting one end of the carriage, a rabble holder tiltably mounted on said carriage and means carried by the carriage and connected to the rabble holder for tilting one end of the same as the carriage reciprocates.

17. In a mechanical rabble, a carriage and means for continously reciprocating the same, a rabble holder tilt-ably mounted on said carriage, a motor carried by the carand having means connected to the reciprocating the same, a rabble holder pivotally carried by the carriage and means for tilting one end of the same, and a rabble carried by said rabble holder.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

VJOHN SMITH. 

